Kansas State opened the second half with 23 consecutive points to blow open an already lopsided game, as the Wildcats capped an impressive offensive performance with a 98-50 win over UIW on Sunday afternoon before 7,042 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
 
K-State (9-1) collected its third 90-point scoring effort of the season, narrowly missing the school's first 100-point game since 2010 in the last few minutes before opting to dribble out the basketball in the closing seconds against an undermanned UIW (5-6) squad. The Wildcats connected on a season-best 59.1 percent (39-of-66) from the field, including 68.8 percent (22-of-32) after halftime, and saw seven players score in double figures.
 
The 9-1 start is best start by the Wildcats since opening the 2011-12 season with a similar 9-1 mark, while head coach Jerome Tang is off to the best 10-game start by a first-year coach in school history.
 
The 48-point margin of victory was the 10th-largest in school history and the largest since 2008.
 
K-State busted open a close contest with a 20-1 run midway through the first half before landing the knockout punch with a 23-0 start to the second half. Six different Wildcats contributed during the first-half run, including 5 points each from senior Markquis Nowell and freshman reserve Dorian Finister. The second-half run consisted of much the same balance with seven players registering points, including 3-pointers from senior Keyontae Johnson and juniors Ish Massoud and Nae'Qwan Tomlin.
 
Johnson led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in a season-low 24 minutes of action. The Wildcats' leading scorer (17.3 ppg.) has now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season. Tomlin had a near double-double with 15 points and a season-high 9 rebounds in 23 minutes, while junior reserve Desi Sills added 14 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
 
Sophomore Cam Carter, Finister and Nowell each added 10 points, as Nowell nearly notched another double-double with a game-high 8 assists to go with 5 rebounds in 23 minutes. Finister saw his most action of the season in 22 minutes, recording his first career double-digit scoring game to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
 
UIW, which has 9 true or redshirt freshmen among its 16-man roster, connected on 38 percent (19-of-50) from the field, including 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range, and made just 5 of 8 attempts from the free throw line. Freshman Trey Miller led the Cardinals with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
 
It was the first meeting between the schools.